Stuck Carpet Storage

[MarkinVan]

At the Rally last year, a fellow Escape owner told us how they stored their outdoor carpet on top of the frame between the front storage box and the front of the trailer.
We went and bought a carpet and it worked well by folding up the carpet and sliding it in. It traveled that way for the whole summer, was quick and easy to store and remove and stayed in place while driving.

In hindsight I advise against this because for what ever reason the carpet has now jammed itself between the frame and the fibreglass shell and is "staying in place".

Besides pushing and pulling, I tried a wooden wedge and hammer, trying to twist the frame on various small inclines and slopes and will probably have to cut it.

Is anyone storing their carpet in an additional Sewer Hose & Storage Compartment?

[Iowa Dave]

We have used the side access hatch on rhe 19
And now on rhe 21z we keep ours in a slick material nylon bag with a drawstring. Pulls out easily, stays protected and doesn’t drop debris on other things in the compartment.
Iowa Dave

[splitting_lanes]

I wonder if moisture caused it to expand and it just needs to dry out.

[DT6]

Your only solution might be to remove the storage box. It is a pain to have to empty it, and to remove batteries, but in the end it may end up being the fastest and causing the least damage.

[Bayner]

Originally Posted by splitting_lanes

I wonder if moisture caused it to expand and it just needs to dry out.

Or get wet if it's dry - I'd be trying both options were it me.

[DanandDaphne]

Originally Posted by DT6

Your only solution might be to remove the storage box. It is a pain to have to empty it, and to remove batteries, but in the end it may end up being the fastest and causing the least damage.

You might be able to get it free by just loosening the bolts and lifting up on the edge of the storage box without removing it.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

You might be able to get it free by just loosening the bolts and lifting up on the edge of the storage box without removing it.

Sort of looks like would be the best option. Trying to cut it and pull bits out could prove to be awkward and not all the productive.

But we're having cold temperatures right now. It could be that it's stiffer than in the summer and is kind of molded in place. If it is in a place that almost or below freezing I'd probably try pouring very hot water down on it to soften it up.

I have a front storage tube in that location but it's not a large enough diameter to hold anything but a door mat size carpet.

Good luck

Ron

[Mike G]

Stubborn person that I am, I would probably rig up a gantry and hook into a loop of it with a cable winch, and try pulling it straight up with mechanical advantage.

[lonewolfjb]

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

At the Rally last year, a fellow Escape owner told us how they stored their outdoor carpet on top of the frame between the front storage box and the front of the trailer.
We went and bought a carpet and it worked well by folding up the carpet and sliding it in. It traveled that way for the whole summer, was quick and easy to store and remove and stayed in place while driving.

In hindsight I advise against this because for what ever reason the carpet has now jammed itself between the frame and the fibreglass shell and is "staying in place".

Besides pushing and pulling, I tried a wooden wedge and hammer, trying to twist the frame on various small inclines and slopes and will probably have to cut it.

Is anyone storing their carpet in an additional Sewer Hose & Storage Compartment?

Get a pair of channel lock pliers clamp down on both ends and yank as hard as you can. Hopefully that will free it up.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by lonewolfjb

Get a pair of channel lock pliers clamp down on both ends and yank as hard as you can. Hopefully that will free it up.

Yeah, I was thinking a pair of vice grips. They don't require a strong grip where channel locks do.


Good luck!

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

At the Rally last year, a fellow Escape owner told us how they stored their outdoor carpet on top of the frame between the front storage box and the front of the trailer.
We went and bought a carpet and it worked well by folding up the carpet and sliding it in. It traveled that way for the whole summer, was quick and easy to store and remove and stayed in place while driving.

In hindsight I advise against this because for what ever reason the carpet has now jammed itself between the frame and the fibreglass shell and is "staying in place".

Besides pushing and pulling, I tried a wooden wedge and hammer, trying to twist the frame on various small inclines and slopes and will probably have to cut it.

Is anyone storing their carpet in an additional Sewer Hose & Storage Compartment?

Lube it up....dish soap or moisturizer should help get it to slide out. Really work it into the piece that is stuck, try putting to squirt bottle right in there and give it a good squirt. Then get the vice grips. The dish soap would be my first choice because it will wash right off.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Stubborn person that I am, I would probably rig up a gantry and hook into a loop of it with a cable winch, and try pulling it straight up with mechanical advantage.

Ah, the old hit it with a hammer, if that doesn't work, hit it with a bigger hammer approach. Yep, sometimes I resort to a brute force approach, win some, lose some.

Ron

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Ian and Sue

Lube it up....dish soap or moisturizer should help get it to slide out. Really work it into the piece that is stuck, try putting to squirt bottle right in there and give it a good squirt. Then get the vice grips. The dish soap would be my first choice because it will wash right off.

Dish soap is an excellent idea in addition to warm water.

Maybe after it's wet and soaped up laying underneath and taking a short piece of wood, like 3/8" x 1 1/2" and tapping it upward starting at the end of the brown carpet and moving sideways might work it loose.

Mark, I've gotta say, there's been so many issues and questions on the same topic over and over again, but you've managed to find a never before discussed topic.

It will come out, one way or the other, but this pretty much guarantees that no one else will ever be putting carpets in that space.

Ron

[MarkinVan]

For clarity, the mat is worked it's way under the fibreglass shell of the trailer itself and the steel frame. It's in there and short of unbolting the shell from the frame and lifting it I believe cutting it is the only solution.

Mainly wanting to let people know that while it appeared to be a good storage solution, long term it is not.

I can see why so many of a truck for towing because of all the extra storage.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

At the Rally last year, a fellow Escape owner told us how they stored their outdoor carpet on top of the frame between the front storage box and the front of the trailer.
We went and bought a carpet and it worked well by folding up the carpet and sliding it in. It traveled that way for the whole summer, was quick and easy to store and remove and stayed in place while driving.

In hindsight I advise against this because for what ever reason the carpet has now jammed itself between the frame and the fibreglass shell and is "staying in place".

Besides pushing and pulling, I tried a wooden wedge and hammer, trying to twist the frame on various small inclines and slopes and will probably have to cut it.

Is anyone storing their carpet in an additional Sewer Hose & Storage Compartment?

This might work for you.

[Ron in BC]

I have one of those up front and I tried putting our outside mat in it. Just couldn't roll it up tight enough to fit.

Depends on the size of the mat. Small ones would fit.

Ron

[MarkinVan]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I have one of those up front and I tried putting our outside mat in it. Just couldn't roll it up tight enough to fit.

Depends on the size of the mat. Small ones would fit.

Ron

Since I'm cutting mine up, what size would you recommend that would fit.

[cpaharley2008]

Since the tube is perhaps 8 feet, that will be your limit in one direction....

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Since the tube is perhaps 8 feet, that will be your limit in one direction....

I think that the maximum feasible length is about 80". At least that's what I made mine.

Originally Posted by MarkinVan

Since I'm cutting mine up, what size would you recommend that would fit.

My tube is only 3" and is only used for some aluminum poles but I think that I rolled my larger outdoor carpet up tightly and decided that even a 4" diameter tube wouldn't be large enough. I could fit a 4" tube because of the way I installed my box. Don't know if you have that option.

I'd roll the carpet tightly and see how large a tube it would need.

I'm wondering if something like a 6" diameter tube couldn't be placed at the rear, maybe attached to the two brackets that hold on the bumper. PVC is available in all sorts of diameters.

Ron

[MrLynn]

We just roll up our outdoor mat and throw it in the back of the Expedition.